THE MUSIC BUSINESS WEEK IN FIVE
Hey there everybody, how the devil are you doing? And hello if you came along to the MusicTank 'Remake, Remodel' conference yesterday, where I was a last minute booking to play the role of 'Sean Adams from Drowned In Sound'. I managed to diss The Wanted, which is what Sean would have, erm, 'wanted', I'm sure. It was another great event from Team MusicTank, with a packed room listening to some real heavy-hitters from across the record industry and beyond. Oh, and, and some dude from CMU who took a cheap shot at easy targets The Wanted. Anyway, that happened this week in music, what else?

01: Spotify launched in the US. At last. Hold out Warner Music inked a deal with the streaming music service on Wednesday night, allowing a full Thursday morning launch, which resulted in quite a lot of positive commentary from both the US media and the artist community. Spotify USA will offer the same packages as currently on offer in Europe, a limited freemium version, a five dollar a month unlimited play option, and a ten dollar mobile service. CMU report | LA Times report

02: Universal revealed it was now licensing Last.fm directly, rather than via collecting societies like PPL. While record companies, unlike music publishers, have chosen to licence the vast majority of digital rights directly, rather than via collecting societies, the one exception has been interactive or personalised radio services, like those offered by Last.fm. But Universal announced this week it was taking that in-house, too. At least one CMU reader thought this was a much bigger deal than we did. It certainly adds to the increasingly vocal debate in the industry about whether there should be more or less collective licensing in the digital domain. CMU report

03: George Michael accused the News Of The World of trying to "destroy" him, which enabled us to cover the News International phone-hacking scandal as music news. Hurrah! As the Sunday paper bit the dust, Michael made various allegations against the tabloid and its former editor, and then current and now former NI CEO, Rebekah Brooks. So much so it's likely the police will now interview him. The hacking scandal rumbled on this week, with NI parent company, Rupert Murdoch's News Corp, forced to drop its bid to take complete ownership of BSkyB, and Murdoch's Rupert and James and the aforementioned Brooks all agreeing to face a parliamentary select committee. Meanwhile Murdoch Snr told the Wall Street Journal he thought his company had handled the phone hacking scandal well so far, making the world wonder whether he's arrogant, ignorant, delusional or just going a bit senile. CMU report | Time review of Hackgate

04: The boss of Spain's main collecting society, SGAE, resigned, following a police raid of their offices earlier this month and allegations of misappropriation of funds. The board of the society said they had accepted Eduardo 'Teddy' Bautista's resignation, that he had been relieved of all his duties, and that they had no further comment. CMU report | Billboard report

05: Mathew Knowles sued over allegations he stole from Beyonce. The lawsuit reveals that Knowles' daughter dropped his management services earlier this year after Live Nation - promoter of the singer's tours - alleged her father manager had been taking money out of her tour revenues that wasn't his to have. Although Beyonce's own lawyers seemed to verify Live Nation's claims, Knowles Snr denies any wrong doing, alleging that the live music giant lied to cut him out of the equation, so to increase its own share of tour monies. He's suing the company for damages. CMU report | Forbes report

And that's your lot for now. Though do check out today's edition of the CMU Weekly podcast. We have some exciting news about 'Pigeon Street'.

Chris Cooke
Business Editor, CMU

VIGSY'S CLUB TIP: Tech:nology at The Nest
Opened last year and "dedicated to providing forward-thinking, exciting events accessible to everyone", this nifty little venue, equipped with a Martin Audio sound rig, next week takes things to the dark side by getting Dom & Roland to headline the monthly Tech:nology night.

Expect some menacing beats from veteran Dom Angus, who cut his teeth with output on the seminal Moving Shadow label a decade and a half ago (with his Roland S760, hence the moniker). He will be joined by Cern, Prolix and DJ E, with MCs 2shy and Killa B. Sounds like a good drum n bass fix for those north of the river.

MODO DESIGN & PRODUCTION
MODO Design & Production Limited are at the cutting edge of bespoke packaging solutions for the entertainment business.

With a team of highly qualified designers and print focused project managers, MODO can deliver the full packaged product. MODO is expert at idea generation but also can work with the customer to develop their ideas.

Quite literally the complete solution for anyone who wants to enhance their product at retail and bring added value to the consumer.

LISTEN UP, INTERNSHIP
Listen Up is a London-based music promotions company that provides bespoke radio, club and online promotional campaigns in the UK and worldwide, consistently delivering results to clients in a diverse range of musical genres. The rapid growth of the company means that we are looking for an intern to assist the online branch of the company in all areas of their work.

The ideal candidate will have: Dedication, drive and a strong work ethic, a good knowledge of electronic music, online music portals and social networks, thorough understanding of all Microsoft Office programs, good writing skills, the ability to think outside the box, the willingness to take initiative. Some design and html skills are a bonus.

The internship will be for a duration of three months, and travel expenses will be covered. Email online@listen-up.biz with your CV and a covering letter if you are interested.

SUNDAY BEST RECORDINGS, PRODUCT MANAGER
Independent record label Sunday Best Recordings is seeking an experienced Product Manager to join their team in central London. Candidate will be required to co-ordinate all aspects of an album release including commissioning videos, photoshoots, artwork, managing artist diaries and liaising with promo teams. Passion for music, creative thought, attention to detail and digital marketing expertise are paramount.

"The best music business training event I have attended; relevant and up to date, your knowledge of and enthusiasm for the industry is simply exceptional" from delegate feedbackWe are currently taking bookings for the following CMU TRAINING courses:

MUSIC RIGHTS – INSIDE & OUT
A beginner’s guide to music copyright – everything you need to know about copyright law, licensing, monetising copyright, the fight against piracy and the future of the music rights industry. Wed 27 Jul

MUSIC BUSINESS MODELS – MAKING MONEY, FINDING INVESTMENT
How to make money out of music – both now and in the future, with a look at alternative investment and revenue streams, and a new approach to monetising artists and their music. Wed 7 Sep

SPOTIFY LAUNCHES IN AMERICA, WITH ASCAP ON BOARD
So, as Spotify finally arrived in America yesterday I bet at least some of you - you know, the tedious people. I mean the tediously pedantic people. No, I mean the admirably aware people - were thinking "so we know all the major record companies and Merlin have signed up (actually, we'd not reported on Merlin signing up, but it has), but what, my dear, about the publishing rights, we've not heard much about them now have we?".

Well, good news, people, that's all sorted. Well, some of it's sorted. Well, the rights represented by one of America's three publishing collecting societies are certainly sorted, even if that doesn't include any EMI songs any more. Yes, as Spotify went live in the US yesterday lunchtime (our time) ASCAP confirmed it had signed a licensing deal with the European streaming service to cover the lyrical and musical rights in the songs it represents.

And just in case you don't believe me, we stalked ASCAP CEO John LoFrumento for several hours yesterday until he gave us this quote: "ASCAP is delighted to have entered into an agreement with Spotify that is consistent with our commitment to negotiating fair payment for the public performance of our members' music. Spotify understood the benefits of obtaining an ASCAP blanket license in advance of their much-anticipated launch in the US, creating a healthy environment for the growth of their business while recognising that music creators should be paid fairly for their work".

And if you thought LeFrumento was going to be the only quote we'd have in relation to Spotify's US launch, you'd be very wrong. No, we also door-stepped the service's American MD Ken Parks for comment, which was somewhat pointless given he'd already issued this statement: "Spotify was founded as a better, simpler alternative to piracy. So making sure that the people who create the music prosper is hugely important to us. We have full catalogues from all the major labels and a raft of independent labels including those represented by Merlin, which means all of their artists are being fairly compensated for their creativity every time people enjoy music through Spotify".

"But what about the Ek-meister?" you're almost certainly thinking. Well, he's a very social guy, so he focused on the social networking elements of the Spotify service, noting: "We believe that music is the most social thing there is and that's why we've built the best social features into Spotify for easy sharing and the ultimate in music discovery. Even if you aren't a total music freak, chances are you have a friend who is and whose taste you admire. I'm looking forward to connecting with some of you in Spotify and discovering some cool new tracks".

As expected, Spotify has launched in the US with pretty much the same offer as in the UK, though charging five and ten dollars a month for its two paid-for packages, rather than five and ten pounds, which, of course, actually makes it a bit cheaper. The free service, as is now the case in Europe, is limited in terms of number of hours of listening a month, and how many times any one track can be streamed, though various marketing partners are distributing special invites which provide unlimited PC-based streaming (so, basically the five dollars a month package) for free for six months.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the arrival of Spotify in the US caused Pandora's share price to wobble a little, down nearly $1.50 at one point, though by the end of the day it had recovered a bit, so that it ended the day just 33 cents down. There are, of course, some differences between Spotify and Pandora in terms of functionality, and they possibly therefore appeal to different parts of the market. Though if Spotify ever hones its 'interactive radio' function - currently the weakest part of its service, and something some Americans are reporting to be missing entirely from the software - it might start competing more head on with Pandora.

THE EDGE SAYS "SHUT UP WITH YOUR TAX MOANING"
The Edge, it seems, is getting bored of people dissing his band over their tax arrangements.

As much previously reported, anti-capitalist group Art Uncut have recently brought new focus on U2's widely reported decision a few years back to move some of their business operations from Ireland to the Netherlands, a move which makes their ventures more tax efficient. While such arrangements are the norm for any business that operates in multiple territories, some feel it is hypocritical for a millionaire rock star who frequently preaches about making poverty history around the world to be striving for tax efficiency, when tax-funded state aid generally dwarfs the money raised by charities, such as those supported by Bono, to help those most in need.

When Art Uncut staged a protest (or, at least, tried to) during U2's recent headline set at Glastonbury, Bono was quoted by the Daily Mail as saying: "I'm all for protests. I've been protesting all of my life. I'm glad they got the chance to have their say. But, as it happens, what they're protesting about is wrong". The Edge, however, wasn't responding to that protest when he had a rant this week about U2's critics. He was responding to a letter in the Baltimore Sun, where a reader criticised Maryland Senator Benjamin Cardin for supporting Bono's anti-poverty ONE campaign, calling it "a lobbying group with no mandate or accountability" and adding "Bono exemplifies the worst characteristics of Wall Street, both for excess and tax evasion".

In his own letter to the paper's editor, The Edge says, among other things: "The most serious inaccuracy is the totally false and possibly libellous accusation that U2 and Bono have, by moving a part of their business activities to Holland, been involved in tax evasion. For the record, U2 and the individual band members have a totally clean record with every jurisdiction to which they are required to pay tax and have never been and will never be involved in tax evasion. The Irish Ministry of Finance ... have no problem with U2 basing some of their business activities in Holland ... [and] U2 and its members have paid many, many millions of dollars in taxes to the United States Internal Revenue Service over the years".

Now, obviously, The Edge is right to object to that particular letter writer's allegations of 'tax evasion', though most of the band's other critics have never accused Bono et al of illegality. They simply question the ethics of striving for tax efficiency while encouraging governments to increase aid budgets and calling on poorer fans to donate to anti-poverty causes. To be fair to Bono and The Edge, many celebrities are guilty of the same hypocrisy, it's just Bono shouts louder about poverty issues than most, which makes him a better guy, but also, arguably, a bigger hypocrite. Such is life.

RILO KILEY SPLIT
Rilo Kiley have split. And not in one of those, "oh, well, we've not done anything for a few years, but who knows?" kind of ways. But in a "there was a lot of deception, disloyalty, greed" kind of way. Basically, they aren't parting on especially good terms.

Guitarist Blake Sennett told Spinner: "I just felt like there was a lot of deception, disloyalty, greed and things I don't really want to submit myself to. I had related that frustration to music but I just thought: 'I'm not going to put myself in that position again', so I said: 'Fuck that, I can't do this anymore'".

He continued: "That being said, it was probably immature and that came from a place of ego. I think that stuff will rear its head in anything you do, depending on the personnel you surround yourself with; things change overtime and people change and relationships change. Relationships, like Woody Allen said, are either moving forward or they're moving backwards, they either degrade or they grow and it was degrading to some certain extent in Rilo Kiley. I was mad at music - and it wasn't music's fault. It was our fault as band members, or partners, or friends".

Of the band's last album, 2007's 'Under The Blacklight', he said: "I don't think it was our best record by far. I think that it could have been our best but I think we were under pressure. There were some of our best songs on that record but some of our worst songs. Like, 'Dejalo' and '15' - I didn't like those songs. They're OK, but we have a ton of old tracks that are better than a lot of the stuff that did make the record".

Still, that album won't be the closing chapter of Rilo Kiley's career. Sennett said that the band are hoping to put together a two disc collection featuring around 40 songs, adding: "I think that can be more considered like our last release, to me".

DECCA SIGNS JOE MCELDERRY
So, Decca Records has only gone and signed that Joe McElderry boy. The Universal division reportedly signed the former 'X-Factor' winner shortly after his win on another ITV talent show, 'Popstar To Operastar'.

As previously reported, 'X-Factor' owners Sony/Syco dropped McElderry after just one album. Decca is now set to release McElderry's second long player in August. Not sure if it will be an album of shit covers of shit Miley Cyrus songs, or something more operatic. Perhaps somewhere in between.

CHER RECORDS GAGA SONG
Cher has revealed that she has recorded a song penned by none other than Lady Gaga for her new album. The singer tweeted yesterday: "Just walked in from studio! Finished [the] first track on [my] new CD, and... GAGA, YOU ARE THE GREATEST THING TO ME".

Beset by requests for more information, Cher later revealed that the song, entitled 'The Greatest Thing', is not a duet, but a track written with RedOne during Gaga's sessions for her latest album, 'Born This Way'. She wrote: "It's not a duet! Who knows? I did hold her 'meat purse', haha! One can wish! It's one of her songs and she and RedOne gave it to me for my CD!"

I only understood about half of that. Quick, need a distraction, how about Gaga's own demo version of the song?

JANE'S ADDICTION ANNOUNCE NEW ALBUM AND LONDON SHOW
The official word is finally out. Rock trio Jane's Addiction are to release their latest long player 'The Great Escape Artist' on 26 Sep, having taken on TV On The Radio's Dave Sitek to add some extra breadth and depth to what will be their first hint of an album since 2003's 'Strays'. And, as you can tell from this in-studio making-of clip, the band took a deadly serious attitude to crafting the composition and arrangement of all the new material.

You can see if the group's hard work paid off by checking out the first fruit of their 'The Great Escape Artist' labours, lead single 'End To The Lies', via video below. And you'll be able to catch the band live in London when they play Koko on 30 Aug, just after their appearances at the Reading and Leeds festivals.

DEUS ANNOUNCE NEW ALBUM
Belgian avant rock troupe deus have announced that they will release their latest album, 'Keep You Close', on 3 Oct via PIAS. The album is the follow-up to 2008's 'Vantage Point' and was recorded at the band's own studio in Antwerp over a six month period with producers David Botrill and Adam Noble.

Described by frontman Tom Barman as "very Can meets LCD", the album features guest vocals from former Afghan Whigs member Greg Dulli on the track 'The Dark Sets In'.

Tracklist:

Keep You Close
The Final Blast
Dark Sets In
Twice
Ghosts
Constant Now
The End Of Romance
Second Nature
Easy

WILL HAVEN ANOUNCE NEW ALBUM
Will Haven have announced a new album, 'Voir Dire', which sees Grady Avenell back on vocal duties. The frontman left the band prior to the recording of 2007's 'The Hierophant', but was coaxed back two years later after joining his former bandmates to play a handful of benefit shows for coma-bound Deftones bassist Chi Cheng.

The album is due for release via Bieler Bros on 10 Oct, and the band are expected to announce a one-off show in London to coincide with the release soon.

MARTIN SCORSESE ANNOUNCES GEORGE HARRISON DOCUMENTARY
US TV station HBO will air a documentary about late Beatle George Harrison in October, it has been announced. The film, produced by Martin Scorsese and Harrison's wife Olivia, features home movies, interviews and other previously unseen footage.

Says Scorsese: "When I was offered the chance to make this picture, I jumped at it. Spending time with Olivia, interviewing so many of George's closest friends, reviewing all that footage, some of it never seen before, and listening to all of that magnificent music - it was a joy, and an experience I'll always treasure".

An accompanying book containing items from Harrison's archive, including letters and diaries, will be published in September.

MORRISSEY TO PUBLISH AUTOBIOGRAPHY NEXT YEAR
Morrissey will publish his autobiography in December 2012, he has revealed.

Speaking to Billboard, the singer said: "I see it as the sentimental climax to the last 30 years. It will not be published until December 2012, which gives me just enough time to pack all I own in a box and disappear to central Brazil. The innocent are named and the guilty are protected".

He also spoke about his continued attempts to find a record label willing to release his new album, saying: "Universal say they are interested, but their communications have gaps of eight weeks, so they obviously aren't that serious".

Universal also released his last album, 'Years Of Refusal'. On how he came to break off his previous relationship with the major, he said: "Universal and my then manager [Irving Azoff] decided to release my last album during BRIT Awards weeks, an unwinnable situation for someone like me who is the exact opposite of BRIT Awards wretchedness. So, I suffered badly against the usual sandblast of BRIT Awards publicity, and my relationship with Universal and my management collapsed due to their bad judgment. Everything matters".

So, there you go. Building those bridges, our Morrissey. Speaking of which, his spokesperson has issued a statement about the previously reported ejection of the owner of Moz fansite morrissey-solo.com, David Tseng, from a gig in Copenhagen earlier this week. They said: "Mr Tseng via his poisonous website has caused so much intentional distress to Morrissey and Morrissey's band over the years that Mr Tseng is not welcome at any Morrissey shows".

LIL B ANNOUNCES FIRST UK SHOW
Hotly tipped rapper Lil B, who recently released his new album 'I'm Gay', has announced that he will play his first UK show at The Old Blue Last in London this Saturday (16 Jul). That's quite soon, I know. But it's not quite as last minute as the announcement that his album was coming out, which happened, er, on the day of the album's release last month.

SNOOP DOGG ANNOUNCES UK ARENA TOUR
Now he's allowed in again, you just can't keep Snoop Dogg out of the UK. He'll be back again for an arena tour this October. Of course, those of you with Lovebox tickets will be able to see him this Saturday performing his 'Doggystyle' album in full.

FESTIVAL REVIEW: Lounge On The Farm 2011
I arrived on-site at the near crack of dawn (well, about 9am) on Saturday morning, anxious to make up for my work-induced absence from the Friday goings on by spending as much time as possible imbibing some LOTF ambiance. Coming upon my leisurely friends in the 'quiet' campsite who were feeling too jaded by a whole Friday's worth of sun and fun to roust themselves from their aromatic sleeping bags, I quickly quelled any rising feelings of bitterness towards them with a soothing 9.15am beer and collected some choice soundbites regarding their experiences of the fest so far.

The more coherent of these included reports of an on-stage comment from Mike Skinner of Friday headliners The Streets, who, having tried to wrest a lit safety flare off an unhinged and pyromaniacal crowd member, apparently described the collective LOTF clientele as "full of parents and wild girls". Looking at our 'quiet' campsite neighbours, a well-to-do family troupe dishing out a full English to their blue-haired children Sapphire and Gabriel, I could see Mike's estimation had been partly true.

Bill-toppers on the Chess Club-hosted Sheepdip stage, Peggy Sue, were unanimously voted the best and most underappreciated act of the previous day, drawing only a small audience despite attempting Streets covers, sporting Eminem T-shirts and embodying what was, to my friends anyway, a pleasing air of "feminist chic".

Anyway, we later set out to the aforementioned Sheepdip stage to catch Chad Valley, the one-man knob-twiddling labour of love of Jonquil vocalist Hugo Manuel, who looked the picture of concentration as he flicked switches and caressed keyboards, churning out waves of warming electronica during what was a self-absorbed but absorbing performance. We stayed put to soak up a noisome myriad stomping beats and candied vocals as broadcast by buzz duo Visions Of Trees, whose EP high 'Sometimes It Kills' drew scores of glowering trendies from all corners of the festival field.

We then decamped to the all-new Meadows Stage for some earthier sounds from Kent natives Tom Williams & The Boat, who flexed their crowd-pleasing muscles with a commanding and well-crafted set of alt-rock offerings. Music took a momentary backseat as we sampled the various local delights on offer in the Meadows area, enjoying a 'Hunter's Breakfast' of assorted game meats sloshed down with pre-lunch flagons of rustic Kentish ales, finding relief from the alternate downpours and sunny spells in a shaded arbour of twisty wooden totems.

What ensued was lots of inquisitive ambling around pop-up hemp shops, gorging on tender hog roasts and mingling with the largely teenage and family-dominated crowd like a splinter clutch of twentysomething missing links.

We approached the shiny new Main Stage in time to be underwhelmed by a tepid performance from Jamie Woon, awaiting more vivacious vibes courtesy of a flame-haired Katy B, who managed to heat things up even as the Saturday sun was setting, transforming the entire crowd into an unabashed mass of blissed-out ravers. We then took in some tail-end tracks by Nottingham alt types Egyptian Hip Hop, who were refusing to play any songs from their 'Some Reptiles Grew Wings' EP (what, not even 'Rad Pitt'?!) because they were too "embarrassing", instead opting for onerous stints of proggy fuzz-rock that, although promisingly experimental, didn't exactly set the Sheepdip tent aquiver on its guy-ropes.

Fleeing from the imminent onset of sub-headliner Example through the drizzle to get under the Farm Folk canvas, we engaged in sozzled singalongs with Melodica, Melody & Me and blushing thespian Johnny Flynn, the latter of whom capped off a string of successive LOTF appearances with a triumphant solo slot. Having stared at the empty stage moonily for some time after he left, we went to the rave tent and danced around our anoraks, I think, and I definitely remember drinking mint tea in the pitch dark whilst sprawled on a bejeweled Moroccan pouf in a teepee surrounded by nouveau bohemian types at the Tea Temple. That almost certainly did happen.

The next day came on bright and hot, heralded by a dawn chorus of our tender-aged neighbours Gabriel and Sapphire clamouring for breakfast frankfurters like particularly posh baby vultures. And so, hounded by the eager cries of "more ketchup please, Mummyyyyyyyy!", I cradled my sore and sunburned head and longed to be surrounded by the sniffles of teenage ketamine fiends in the so-called 'noisy' camping area.

Upright but only partly awake, we staggered off for a bizarre brunch of rare pigeon breast and chickpeas (slimy, yet satisfying) before catching Unknown Mortal Orchestra. The trendies were out in force again to catch the Fat Possum-signings perform the cream of their most excellent eponymous LP, we even spotted one of Egyptian Hip Hop loitering nearby in a crumpled pastel suit.

Later on, we watched wry-eyed indie Geordies Little Comets whizz through a sweaty set of truly great tunes, the oft-overlooked but brilliant 'Joanna' receiving a deservedly warm welcome from the heat-struck hordes collected at the Main Stage. Next act Art Brut were on hand to bolster everyone's lagging enthusiasm levels, dripping with pure punk spirit and perspiration as they delivered an assured selection of their finest cerebral rock miscellanea. Then I had to go home rather abruptly, because everyone was getting on the cider and vermouth (well, my refined friend Sophie was) and I needed time to recover before work the next day. Hmph.

So there I was, sweltering away with a shiny red nose on the slow Sunday service back to London. As I lolled off into an early evening nap, as watched over by a mad-eyed youth holding a dog on a chain (ah, rural Kent), I couldn't help but acknowledge my ultimate failure in not catching even one of the headline acts. But who wants to see Ellie Goulding rasp through yet another tired rendition of 'Starry Eyed' when you can watch faraway US eccentrics like Unknown Mortal Orchestra, stomach brimming with still-bloody Canterbury pigeon breast and ears ringing with Sapphy and Gabe's high-pitched breakfast orders? Not me, that's who. AB

EMI SIGNS UP TO FACEBOOK GAMES SERIES
EMI has done a deal with social games publisher MXP4 which will see tracks belonging to the major appear in Facebook-based games, initially a selection of so called rhythm games.

Users will be able to play 60 second previews for free, but will have to pay, using Facebook credits, for the full gaming experience. MXP4, who are currently beta testing their music-based Bopler Games series, did separate deals with EMI's record labels and publishing companies.

Says EMI's VP Of Digital Development Cosmo Lush: "Games are a high-growth digital business, so we are always on the lookout for ways to license our music or have our artists involved in that area. We are talking to lots of different potential partners across the games business, but MXP4 were very forward-looking and keen to move quickly to get some of our music licensed and get going".

MXP4's top man Albin Serviant added: "This is the first time a music label and publisher have signed such a deal using the freemium business model. We expect more signatures from other publishers and labels by the end of August for the commercial launch of Bopler Games".

PETE TONG LAUNCHES RECOMMENDATION APP
Want Pete Tong to go through your record collection and draw attention to the obvious omissions? No, me neither. But if you did, you'd be in luck, because the Radio 1 DJ has launched a new app which will scan your iTunes collection, cross reference it with every track Tong has ever played in a club, and then recommend some other tunes, old or new, that you might want to check out. It does sound kinda fun, if your musical tastes cross over with those of the DJ.

Says Tong: "I wanted a way to capture the whole spectrum of electronic music's rich history, and distil it into an expert recommendation service to guide people with their music choices - and this is the first time I've come across an app that can do just that. It allows me to take a look through your record collection and pull out the tracks that I would play, then I find a few tracks you might be missing and build you a playlist. If you choose to buy the tracks I recommend, it's as if I've put a compilation album together just for you. The app has a built in player so you can listen to all the playlists immediately".

GERRIE PLANNING TUBE ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION
The 30th anniversary of the launch of 80s music show 'The Tube' will be marked with some kind of event, the programme's former Executive Producer Malcolm Gerrie confirmed at MusicTank's 'Remake, Remodel' mini-conference yesterday, where he was in conversation with MusicTank Chair Keith Harris on the role of the superstar in the music business of the future.

Gerrie revealed: "A couple of months back, there was a story in the press that Peaches Geldof was going to follow in her mother's footsteps and present a new version of 'The Tube'. My Blackberry went crazy. Everyone wanted to know when this was happened. Channel 4 and Sky both called, had I got a broadcaster yet? And the labels were phoning too, was it too soon to be booking in bands? But the thing is, there was no truth in the story. There was never any plan to relaunch the show. I think perhaps an agent somewhere got a bit ahead of themselves".

But, he continued: "With so much interest in this non-existent 'Tube' revival, it got us thinking. I said to the guys at [Gerrie's current company] Whizzkid, 'it's the 30th anniversary next year, we should do something'. So we're going to do something. I've no idea what yet. We've not got a broadcaster. Our old studio in Newcastle's been bulldozed. Paula's long dead. But we'll do something. Maybe a one off, maybe something more, who knows? There maybe a TV show element, and we'd definitely want to do something online too. But this is as far as we've got. And we're certainly open to suggestions".

So there you go, we don't know what, when, where or how, but 'The Tube' will be back in 2012, if possibly for one night only. I'd say, be there or be an ungroovy fucker.

SEESAW SAVED
Online on-demand TV service SeeSaw - the iPlayer-like platform that span out of the Project Kangaroo venture instigated by the BBC, ITV and Channel 4 before the competition regulator stepped in - has been saved.

As previously reported, current SeeSaw owner Arqiva announced in May that the service was to shut down after the company had failed to find a buyer or new partners for the flagging venture. But now it's been confirmed that a consortium led by Criterion Capital Partners - which bought Bebo from AOL - has stepped in with a £10 million plus deal to save the service.

Various other investors will join with Criterion to try and make a go of the on-demand platform, which offers both an ad-funded free and subscription option. The new company will be led by former BBC exec and Channel 4 CEO Michael Jackson, who is also one of the new investors.

Said Jackson: "The TV industries in the UK and abroad will continue to be reshaped in ways no one can quite predict, however it is clear that web-delivered programming will play a vital role in that transformation. The technology behind SeeSaw is world class and the group behind the bid has a great mix of entrepreneurial and industry experience".

SeeSaw is a really good service, we should all use it so it survives. And anyone reading this from ITV, dump your rubbish ITV Player and licence all your content to these guys. The era of control is over, remember, get with the moment. Thank you.

REZNOR SAYS "DON'T BY NIN RE-RELEASE"
Trent Reznor would really like it if you wouldn't buy the re-release of Nine Inch Nails' debut album 'Pretty Hate Machine', OK?

One of Universal Music's catalogue divisions is re-releasing the original record, which, although out of print from 1997 to 2005 after Reznor fell out with original label TVT, was re-issued in its original form in 2005 by Ryko, and then a new version remastered by Reznor himself came out last year. The latest re-release is seemingly just the original.

Reznor took to Twitter to declare the latest re-release "a record label bullshit move repackaging the old version", adding "NIN fans, don't waste your money on this version of PHM that was just released".

SHARON OSBOURNE'S WEDDING RING TURNS UP ON CRIMEWATCH
All's well that ends well, eh? Sharon Osbourne's £200,000 ten carat Tiffany wedding ring has turned up. It was stolen when masked men gained entry to the Osbourne's Buckinghamshire home in 2004, despite being tackled by Ozzy as they left. A £100,000 reward was offered for its return at the time.

The ring appeared on the latest edition of 'Crimewatch' on BBC One, which was broadcast on Tuesday. A fan recognised it and sent a link to the 'Crimewatch' website to Kelly Osbourne via Twitter. Kelly sent the link to her mother who, upon seeing the picture, "cried for joy" when she recognised it.

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